Jersey Collective Reads New Jersey Fan Club by Kerri Sullivan
Our June selection
Our pick for June is NEW JERSEY FAN CLUB edited by Kerri Sullivan!
About the book & why we picked it
From the publisher: “Despite the many jokes and stereotypes about New Jersey and its residents, in reality the state is a wildly diverse place, home to a vast variety of landscapes, cultures, and people. There is no singular New Jersey experience, and the stories that its residents have to share about the state will surprise you.”
Courtney says: “New Jersey Fan Club is only a year old (happy birthday!) and has already joined my pantheon of all-time favorite anthologies. A diverse and striking array of writing and artwork, it’s essential reading for anyone who has ever loved or lived in New Jersey—and even more essential for those who are unfamiliar with the state, or revile it! It’s impossible to explore this tapestry of narratives without reappraising what you thought you knew about the Garden State. Kerri’s reputation as an expert curator through her Jersey Collective is reinforced here—the talent she’s selected and arranged demonstrates a masterful eye and a sincere appreciation for New Jersey.”
Kerri says, sheepishly: “Okay, yeah, so this is my own book. But it has never felt like only mine—it’s an anthology of work by over 60 contributors, all with some kind of (usually quite strong) Jersey connection. The book has been out for a full year, and I’m excited to talk about it again now with some contributors and readers!”
From the reviews: “Depending on who you ask, New Jersey is either a punchline or a paradise. This new anthology featuring essays, interviews and comics from an array of writers and artists presents a solid argument that New Jersey is lots of things to lots of different types of people, and maybe we should go experience them all.”
—The Statesider
Other info: 316 pages, published by Rutgers University Press (June 2022).
Attend our chat with the editor & a few contributors!
We are really looking forward to chatting with Kerri & several contributors1 Register to join us for a fun discussion on Zoom on Tuesday, June 27 at 7:00 PM EST. The meeting will be recorded and shared on our YouTube channel.
If you want to read the book beforehand, get it from your favorite New Jersey bookseller, from Bookshop.org, or borrow it from your local library. Asking a local indie or cool gift store that stocks books to order it if they don’t already have it on the shelf, or requesting your library order it are both super great things that I’d really appreciate.
If you don’t have time to read it but want to come a little prepared, you can learn more about Kerri and the book from the following:
This News12 New Jersey interview with Brian Donohue
Kerri interviewed by Chris Gethard (who also contributed an essay to the book!) on the New Jersey Is the World podcast.
Or any of the podcast episodes linked from Kerri’s website, for that matter.
Help us spread the work about the event by sharing this post with/tagging a friend!
May Recap
In May, we talked to Bud Smith, author of Teenager about his novel, roadtrips, and growing up in South Jersey. It was an incredibly insightful conversation and if you missed it, we recorded it and you can watch (or listen) to it here:
About Jersey Collective Reads
Jersey Collective Reads promotes homegrown books and authors. We feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction, new releases and backlist titles, on a variety of subjects, from presses big and small.
We feature one selection a month–sometimes a book and other times essays, longform journalism pieces, or short stories–and host a virtual event with the author.
You won’t have to read the books ahead of time to enjoy the events (but of course you’re encouraged to)! We host Zoom-based events to keep it accessible to all, no matter where you’re based. We will also host some in-person2 casual meetups and outings throughout the year so you can connect with other New Jersey book-lovers in person.
Team Members
Courtney Preiss, an Asbury Park-based writer and creative director. Her debut novel WELCOME HOME, CAROLINE KLINE is about baseball and recovery on the Jersey Shore, and is forthcoming from Putnam/Penguin Random House next year. You can find her on Twitter + Instagram @cocogolightly.
Kerri Sullivan, founder of Jersey Collective as well as editor of New Jersey Fan Club (Rutgers University Press 2022) and public librarian. Her Instagram is @ksulphoto.
Kamelia Ani, Brittany Ingersoll, Pooja Makhijani, Donnie Martino, and Scott Neumyer! Plus anyone else who jumps on before then!
I’ve been thinking about planning something for summer! Keep an eye out here and on our Instagram for event announcements. If you have any ideas of what kind of event you’d like to attend, feel free to reach out with suggestions!